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Posts Tagged ‘Exodus’

Luke 9:8-36: Transfiguration

Posted in Favorite, Lenten Practice, tagged , , , , , , , , , on February 19, 2023| Leave a Comment »


Luke 9:8-36: Transfiguration

Sunday, February 19, 2023grymes violins

So many times we are called to Transfiguration.  So many times we are called to Exodus.  So many times we meet angels and prophets and yet do not respond.  We are so caught up in getting through the day, getting through the night, the week, the month, the year . . . the life.

So often we want to pause at a happy spot to set up a tent to house that moment and hold it.  So often we want to wrestle with time until it obeys us.  We live in the past, we live in the future, we live anywhere else but the present, re-living, un-living, projecting, transferring.

Jesus goes up to the mountain with two of his beloved apostles to speak with Elijah, Moses and his Father about the work that lies before him.  Of course he knows what was expected of him – down to the smallest detail – yet he listens to those who have gone before him. He listens to the wisdom of the ages. And he shares the experience with his friends.

violins of hopeJesus shares this wisdom and love with us as well.  He give to us the opportunity of transfiguration of self.  We are not held away from the gift of salvation; rather, we are invited to join Christ’s joy and glory.  So when the cloud descends upon us, and we hear the voice from the mist say: This is my Son, listen to him . . . may we have the courage, the wisdom, the light and the joy to do as we are bidden.  Because through this experience comes a true knowing of God, a true knowing of self.  With this comes an openness to the Word and the Truth and the Light.

As we anticipate our Lenten journey that begins on Ash Wednesday this week, it is good to pause to reflect upon the possibilities offered to us through Transfiguration.

Looking for transfiguration, we begin a new Lenten practice this week. Rather than thinking: “Let us make three tents to contain the joy of God’s wisdom,” let us think instead, “Let us share the joy of God’s great gift of love”.

Tomorrow, the Christ.

grymes bookTo learn more about how the Violins of Hope provide an opportunity for learning and reflection through restored instruments that survived the Holocaust, and to see how Cleveland’s MALTZ MUSEUM OF JEWISH HERITAGE offers opportunities of transfiguration, click on the images above or visit: http://www.violinsofhopecle.org/

To hear these violins in concert, go to a CBS video at: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/violins-of-hope/  

Learn about the book Violins of Hope by James A. Grymes at: http://www.jamesagrymes.com/

Images from: http://www.violinsofhopecle.org/ 

Adapted from a Favorite from December 11, 2007.

 

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Psalm 15: Refusing Panic

Posted in Mini-Noontime, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on September 20, 2021| Leave a Comment »


Moses TentMonday, September 20 , 2021

Psalm 15

Refusing Panic

Who may dwell in the Lord’s tent or upon the Lord’s holy mountain?

Jeremiah has spoken to God’s people just as God has asked, and for his fidelity and suffering, he is abused and mocked.  The remnant remain and believe. The faithful know that sooner or later, Jeremiah will be silenced, but God’s word, spoken honestly and carefully, will never die. God’s truth lives forever and cannot be extinguished.

Jesus comes to live among us to heal and redeem, and for his compassion and mercy he is rejected and crucified. The remnant remain watchful and hopeful. The faithful know that here and now Christ continues to walk and live among us. God may be placed out of mind but God is present and cannot be denied. The Spirit is indwelling and cannot be extinguished.

A number of months ago we visited with Psalm 15 and we return today as we prepare for Jeremiah’s journey to Egypt – a place where the Hebrew people once sought refuge and became chained by slavery. A place from which the Twelve Tribes made their exodus with Moses to be delivered in their promised land. A place that served as refuge for the Christ family following Herod’s plot to murder the infant Jesus. Today we reflect on Psalm 15 and remind ourselves that when we stand steadfast in Christ, we must be prepared to reject anxiety. We must be ready to shun our fear. We must be willing to refuse any sense of panic.

Who may dwell in the Lord’s tent or upon the Lord’s holy mountain?

God says: I am well aware of the sacrifices you make for me. I see that you put your desires and sometimes your needs to the side as you take up my cause and deliver my words. Like my prophet Jeremiah you even place yourself at risk when you speak and act as I have asked. Know that I see all of your big and small losses. Understand that I see how you suffer. Believe that I place my hope in you and that you may place all your hope in me. I am goodness and goodness never fails. I am compassion and compassion always heals. I am love and love never abandons. Love always accompanies, always saves, always redeems, always transforms, always brings home. If you must be carried off to Egypt, know that I go with you. And know that I will also bring you home.

Today, spend time with this short psalm, and consider not if we may dwell in the Lord’s tent or on God’s holy mountain, consider how we can dwell anywhere else.

Walk without blame, do what is right, speak truth from the heart, do not slander, defame, or harm your neighbor, disdain the wicked, honor those who love God, keep your promises at all cost, accept no bribe . . . for whoever acts like this shall never be shaken. 

For another reflection on Fearlessness, enter the word in tot he blog search bar and reflect on the importance of trusting God, of rejecting panic, and of remaining as remnant that is never shaken.

Image from: http://thepraiseandworshipconnection.blogspot.com/2013_08_01_archive.html

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John 7:37-39: Discussion

Posted in Web site included, tagged , , , , , on April 20, 2021| Leave a Comment »


Tuesday, April 20, 2021easter

John 7:37-39

Discussion

Yesterday we reflected on God’ invitation to us that we enter into an intimate relationship with the Word. Today as we rest in the promise that Christ returns in a way we cannot understand, we discover how or if, when or why we thirst to know more about God. If you did not listen to the long version of the Avivah Zornberg interview with Krista Tippett yesterday, take the time this week. Record questions. Initiate discussions. And in this holy Eastertide, share the story of your personal exodus, transformation and redemption.

http://www.onbeing.org/program/avivah-zornberg-the-transformation-of-pharaoh-moses-and-god/6258/audio?embed=1

Image from: https://depositphotos.com/stock-photos/easter-religious.html

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John 7:32-36: Questions

Posted in Web site included, tagged , , , , , on April 19, 2021| Leave a Comment »


Monday, April 19, 2021

Red Sea Find

Red Sea Discovery

John 7:32-36

Questions

In today’s Noontime we hear words from Jesus that cause his listeners, both then and now, to ask questions. Rather than stifling curiosity that will lead to a fuller understanding of his identity and purpose, Jesus initiates a sense of inquiry that continues today. Jesus frequently answers questions with further questions. Jesus regularly creates open conversations instead of shutting down curiosity. Jesus refuses to take these questions as a challenge to his divinity and instead, uses these questions to call each of us to our own divinity.

Any creed that provides firm and pat answers to all question about our relationship with God does not reflect the life Jesus lives with his followers. What we experience today is God’s invitation to open and free dialog with God’s Word. We experience the patient and compassionate Spirit that abides with us despite our reluctance to believe.

As we move further into Eastertide, let us find an hour of time to listen to an On Being podcast of an interview conducted by Krista Tippett with Avivah Zornberg, a midrash expert. (The interview was conducted on April 7, 2005 and was first aired on April 10, 2014.) We investigate the Exodus story about a people who were once honored guests who have become slaves in ancient Egypt.

“With a master of midrash as our guide, we walk through the Exodus story at the heart of Passover. It’s not the simple narrative you’ve watched at the movies or learned in Sunday school. Neither Moses or Pharaoh, nor the oppressed Israelites or even God, are as they seem. As Avivah Zornberg reveals, Exodus is a cargo of hidden stories — telling the messy, strange, redemptive truth of us as we are, and life as it is”. (On Being: http://www.onbeing.org/ April 10, 2014)

Zornberg points out that this story of flight does not happen in order that we merely re-tell or re-read it; rather, it takes place so that we will each tell a greater story of our own exodus from slavery to salvation. Listen today and think about how each of us might recount our own redemption story.  Listen today and ask questions. Remember our experience of the Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Sunday Triduum in which Christ makes his own exodus, and be prepared to listen to God speak to us in a new and redemptive way.

Image from: www.bibleresearcher.org/comments/Exodus-the-crossing.html

http://www.onbeing.org/program/avivah-zornberg-the-transformation-of-pharaoh-moses-and-god/6258/audio?embed=1

Listen to the unedited version of this interview to hear how Zornberg explains God’s passion for the faithful, and the importance of women in this saga when she connects The Song of Songs and Exodus.

The image above is an object found in the Red Sea. The image of a chariot axle is superimposed. To find out more, click on the image or go to: www.bibleresearcher.org/comments/Exodus-the-crossing.html

To learn more about the midrash, go to: www.myjewishlearning.com/texts/Rabbinics/Midrash.shtml

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Ezekiel 9: The Mark of Thau

Posted in Favorite, Lent, Web site included, tagged , on February 14, 2020| Leave a Comment »


Friday, February 14, 2020

Ezekiel 9: The Mark of Thau

hebrewtav[1]The letter “thau” in the Hebrew alphabet is the last and is written as an “x” . . . like a cross. Today we take time to consider its symbolism.

Bishop Newman in his homily today touched on the topic of “spiritual blindness,” since we have been exploring the story of Tobit this week in Mass readings which the main character is cured of his blindness from cataracts by his son Tobiah and the archangel Raphael. The Bishop said that we all suffer from spiritual blindness whenever we slip into familiar, comfortable, or destructive habits. These habits may be easily identified as unhealthy like alcoholism, drug or pornography addiction, excessive gambling or shopping. Or they may be less visible: obsessive control of our children or others, addiction to the feeling of arousal when having an affair, the thrill of vindication when exacting revenge. Brain scans have shown that the same part of the brain is activated when engaging in some of these addictive behaviors as we see light up during an alcoholic’s binge. As humans, we frequently seek a “high” through different kinds of destructive behaviors, and this search, of course, causes spiritual blindness. As we elevate our participation levels, we need a bigger shot to boost us into a new cycle. Bishop Newman reminded us that we “glide into” these patterns without thinking, perhaps because we are afraid, or perhaps because we are just not paying attention to what we are doing. The result is the same, it is impossible for us to see God.

In the portion of Ezekiel’s prophecy we see today, we are again reminded that a toll will be taken, a measurement will be made. And as people who have received The Word as brought to us by Christ, when we wear the cross on our foreheads as we do, for example, on Ash Wednesday, we are to act as Christ and we are to put feet and hands to the Gospel. We are to enact God’s justice as we walk through life. We are to love one another, including our enemies, and we are to advocate for those on the sidelines as Jesus did.

In our afternoon prayer time, we may want to ask that the mark of “thau” be placed on the foreheads of our loved ones . . . and even our enemies. We are called to intimate union with God. We do this best by finding ways to unite ourselves with everyone with whom we come into contact, even those who cause us pain. Tobiah and Raphael interceded for Tobit and cured him of his blindness. These good and faithful servants of God trusted the word they heard, and they did God’s bidding. This is what the New Testament story asks of us. We are to refrain from succumbing to pagan behavior.  We are to ask intercession for those who are blind to their own destructive ways.  We are asked to intercede for those who harm themselves and others.

On this Valentine’s Day when we celebrate the presence of love in our lives, let us reflect on our willingness to open our eyes, to open our hearts, and to love as Jesus does.

Image from: http://www.templestudy.com/2008/08/16/jobs-covenant-hebrew-tav-and-behold-my-sign-in-job-31/

First written on June 8, 2007.  Re-written and posted today as a Favorite. 

For more on the letter thau, click on the image above or go to: http://www.templestudy.com/2008/08/16/jobs-covenant-hebrew-tav-and-behold-my-sign-in-job-31/

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Acts 13:13-43: Summary

Posted in Web site included, tagged , , , , , on January 7, 2019| 1 Comment »


Acts 13:13-43: Summary

Monday, January 7, 2019

Pisidian Antioch Church of Saint Peter

What we read today is Paul’s summary of salvation history to the people who have gathered in the synagogue in Pisidia.  The synagogue officials sent word to [Paul and his companions]. “My brothers, if one of you has a word of exhortation for the people, please speak”.  And so Paul rises to address the assembly.

If we allow ourselves to pause with these verses we will easily see that what Paul delineates as the history of the Jewish people can also serve as the outline of our own life of conversion.

God chose our ancestors and exalted the people during their sojourn in Egypt.  We too are chosen and exalted by God.  We too are the apple of God’s eye, the desire of God’s heart.  Let us rejoice and be glad in this news.

With uplifted arm he led them out of [Egypt] and for about forty years he put up with them in the desert.  We too, have been led by God.  We too have been protected; we are guided by the Spirit.  Let us rejoice and be glad that God has the patience to put up with us.

When he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave them their land as an inheritance at the end of about four hundred and fifty years.  We too, once we have grown and matured in the Spirit, have come to see that our inheritance of God’s love has been within our reach since the beginning of time.  Let us rejoice and be grateful in this gift.

Artifact from Pisidian Antioch

After these things he provided judges . . . then they asked for a king.  God gave them Saul . . . then he removed him and gave up David as their king.  We too have been given leaders along the path of our spiritual journey.  We too have been guided by those who seek God persistently and who tell the stories of their own conversion.  Let us rejoice and be grateful for their willingness to share their life-giving experiences.

From this man’s descendants God, according to his promise, has brought to Israel a savior, Jesus.  John heralded his coming.  We too have been given this savior. We too have heard the heralding of Jesus’ coming. Let us rejoice and be glad in the promise of the Christ Child.

The inhabitants of Jerusalem and their leaders failed to recognize him, and by condemning him they fulfilled the oracles of the prophets . . . They asked Pilate to put him to death . . . they took him down from the tree and put him in a tomb.  We too have lived through trial and travail.  We too have suffered disappointment and betrayal.  Let us rejoice in the knowledge that we are not alone and that our God accompanies us in our journey of sorrow.

But God raised him from the dead, and for many days he appeared to those who came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem.  These are [now] his witnesses before the people.  We ourselves are proclaiming this good news to you that what God promised our ancestors he has brought to fulfillment for us [their] children, by raising up Jesus.  We too have seen the fulfillment of these oracles.  We too have witnessed this death and this rising.  Let us rejoice and proclaim the good news that God has fulfilled and continues to fulfill the promises he makes to us.

El Greco: St. Paul

Today we reflect on the summary of our lives and we wonder . . . can it be true that all we have hoped for has been given?  Can we suppose that what others have witnessed is the promise fulfilled that we have longed for through long and lonely nights?  Can we believe that the Christ humbles himself to birth in a stable?  Can we believe that although we believe him gone . . . he loves us still?

Can we act on this summary of our lives . . . and go forward to tell the Good News?

Tomorrow we will reflect on Paul’s words to the gentile people.  For more on Pisidia, go to the Bible Places link: http://www.bibleplaces.com/pantioch.htm

A re-post from January 7, 2012. 

Images from: http://www.bibleplaces.com/pantioch.htm and http://www.holylandphotos.org/browse.asp?s=1,3,8,21,96 and http://faculty.saintleo.edu/reynolds/HON250-F03/projects/culture/Tinturetto.htm

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Order: The Ten Commandments

Posted in Christmas, Favorite, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on January 3, 2018| Leave a Comment »


Order: The Ten Commandments

The Ten Commandments

The Tenth Day of Christmas, January 3, 2018

On the tenth day of Christmas, my true love gives to me ten lords a-leaping.

Many of us are familiar with The Ten Commandments that Yahweh gives to Moses, but how often do we pause to think of the fact the God, through Moses, not only gives us a simple set of rules to follow, but that he explains the effect these rules will have on our lives. God sees our authenticity by the way we live, and by the way we do or do not say, “Yes,” in response to God’s call. Today the old Christmas carol poses these questions to us: do we see the Gospel stories as a fulfillment of God’s hope in the covenant God establishes with us in the promise of the Ten Commandments?

This part of the Exodus story is bracketed by two convergent episodes: the provision of quail, manna and water by God to the Israelites, and the planning and building of a desert temple-tent for Yahweh by the Israelites. We see actions by both God and the Chosen People that speak of their desire to live in a covenant relationship. And the actual agreement, along with its explanations and implications, lies between these two actions in chapters 20 to 24.

The Holy Spirit

God takes the Israelites out of bondage – just as Jesus later does for all when he comes to live among us and to institute the Kingdom (in Luke 4:14-30). With the giving of the commandments, God foresees the struggle of the people in the desert. God’s preservation and protection of these people bring to God not only fame, glory and praise, but also an arrogant, contemptuous rejection by us. So too does Jesus arrive among God’s people to fulfill the Mosaic Law, to provide and protect us, and then to suffer at our hands; yet ultimately, God the Father and God the Son both offer their compassion and mercy to us when we are wayward. All that is required of us is that we repent of our past transgressions and then respond to the call. Just as God sent an angel to guard the Israelites and bring them to the place God had in mind for them (23: 20-33), so too does Jesus send the Holy Spirit to dwell with us after Jesus’ resurrection – to guide and protect, and to lead us to the holy place he has prepared for us. Of course, later in Chapter 32 of Exodus, the people tire of waiting for Moses to descend Mt. Sinai, so they create and worship the Golden Calf. Moses returns, breaks the tablets and loses his patience. The people repent, agree to do as Yahweh asks and Yahweh restores the tablets. A familiar story that we repeat today – we only need to read and compare history and current events. And it is no wonder that we stray – no wonder that the Israelites strayed. When we look at chapters 20 to 24 of Exodus, we see the social implications of the Mosaic Law. We might pay special attention to some of the verses that hold ideas difficult to take, verses that call for us to respect ourselves and one another: 22:15, 23:1, 22: 1-3, 22: 20, 21:35-36.

So on this day when we continue our celebration of God’s truest gift of love, we take a few moments to recollect our experiences in covenant relationships with others. We might mediate for a bit on how we might remain faithful to the one central covenant in our lives. And we might decide how best to renew that covenant each day with our Creator.

Adapted from a reflection on The Ten Commandments written February 14, 2007.

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Torah: Law and Covenant

Posted in Christmas, Web site included, tagged , , , , , on December 29, 2017| Leave a Comment »


Torah: Law and Covenant

Torah being read at a Bar Mitzvah

The Fifth Day of Christmas, December 29, 2017

On the fifth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me five gold rings.

Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Our origins and beginnings, God’s redemption and deliverance, our holiness and worship, service and work, God’s law and covenant with the people. The first five books of the Old Testament are five gold rings that we might wear on our fingers as we remember how God has acted in our lives, and has called us to a holy way of life.

We might take time today to read stories of creation and the patriarchs whose lives bring us vivid examples of how we might – or might not – respond to God’s call. On the other hand, we might want to explore the exodus story that we re-live during Lent and Eastertide each year. Some of us might be interested in the minutiae of the law or in the early Temple rites. Finally, we may want to explore the Christian perspective of these ancient Jewish scriptures because for Christians, “the Pentateuch portrays the pilgrim people waiting for the full realization of the kingdom of God.”

No matter our perspective, no matter our circumstances, these five golden rings bring us a foundation and a vision for the kingdom we know is already among us.

For more about the Torah, or Pentateuch, visit: http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/the-written-law-torah or http://www.usccb.org/bible/scripture.cfm?src=_intros/pentateuch-intro.htm

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Psalm 27: Seek Trust – God’s Face

Posted in Favorite, Web site included, tagged , , , , , , on December 13, 2017| Leave a Comment »


Psalm 27: Seek Trust – God’s Face

Morgan Weistling: Kissing the Face of God

Wednesday, December 13, 2017

This is one of my favorite Psalms. The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom should I fear?  The Lord is my life’s refuge, of whom am I afraid?

We all seek God’s face.  This is what we miss so much in our pilgrimage on this planet.  Where do we find this face? The psalmist tells us: In the temple. 

This week’s Mass readings are from Exodus and we hear again the story of how Moses erected a desert tent as the temple that housed the covenant promise that the people held with God.  And God came down to speak with Moses and to the people in the form of a fiery column of smoke.  This column was both guide and protector.  The temple eventually traveled to various cities in the Kingdom of Israel, Jericho, Shiloh, and others, until it eventually rested in Jerusalem – where it ceased to travel and became permanent . . . and corrupt.

The Messiah arrived to replace that temple and to tell us that each one of us is a temple – to be kept holy and sacred for the Spirit’s in-dwelling, to be God’s presence in a struggling world.  And this is what we agree to as part of our own personal covenant with our creator.  That we will trust God and live in accordance with God’s statutes, that we will love God and practice the Greatest Commandment daily, that we will do our best to be People of Hope as we follow The Way that Jesus walked while here on earth.  As the psalmist says, I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy. And the sacrifices I offer are the little and big trials which I undergo daily.

We are all apostles sent forth with this message.  We are journeying together with a clear map to follow.  Again the psalmist, aware that enemies lurk along the roadside, says, Lord, show me your way; lead me on a level path because of my enemies.

The final exhortation sung by the psalmist is, Wait for the Lord, take courage; be stouthearted, wait for the Lord!

And the people say . . . Amen.

Adapted from a Favorite written on August 2, 2007.

 

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